Keelbase/ˈkēl-ˌbās/

Our name — evoking the keel of a ship — is grounded in the principles of balance, dependability, and resilience: a base that provides stability in the face of uncertainty and keeps every investment firmly on course.

Firm Leadership

With complementary backgrounds across acquisitions, capital markets, development, and asset management, Cooper and Paul bring the full perspective of experienced institutional owners. They’ve spent the majority of their careers on the principal side, drawing on decades of institutional experience to underwrite, execute, and operate with discipline and conviction.

  • Cooper Engst

    Principal and Co-Founder

    Cooper brings nearly 20 years of institutional capital markets and development experience spanning multifamily, office, industrial, and retail sectors, with a transaction and development track record exceeding $12 billion in value.

    Prior to co-founding Keelbase, Cooper led the Pacific Northwest multifamily practice for Eastdil Secured and held prior roles at Wright Runstad & Company and Opus Development Corporation — where he developed more than 3 million SF across the U.S. & Canada. His expertise also includes over a decade of concurrent experience in sub-institutional asset management, providing a complementary perspective to his large-scale investment background.

    Cooper holds an MBA in Finance from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a BA in Economics from the University of Washington.

    He and his wife are raising their three daughters in Seattle’s Queen Anne neighborhood, where they remain actively connected to the Pacific Northwest community they’ve long called home.

  • Paul Roeter

    Principal and Co-Founder

    Paul brings nearly 18 years of institutional real estate experience spanning capital markets, acquisitions, asset management, and construction.

    Prior to co-founding Keelbase, he co-led the Pacific Northwest Equity, Debt & Structured Finance practice at Cushman & Wakefield, where he executed over $2.7 billion in capitalizations between 2022 and 2025.

    Earlier in his career, Paul served as Investment Director at Urban Renaissance Group, structuring $3.3 billion in acquisitions and leading asset management for the firm’s portfolio.

    He earned an MBA from the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business and a BS in Chemical Engineering, also from the University of Washington.

    A lifelong Pacific Northwest resident, Paul lives in Bellevue with his wife and two daughters. He’s actively involved in the region’s business and real estate communities, including serving on the boards of the Bellevue Downtown Association and the Bellevue Kid’s Quest Museum.